Review: Memorex CD/MP3 Boombox Reviewed by: Seán Provided by: Memorex Firmware: N/A ADVERTISEMENT

Memorex was kind enough
to send us their latest Boombox for review.  This Boombox features an FM/AM
radio, CD player with MP3 playback and auxiliary input for handheld MP3
players.

In this review, we will
check out its features and how well it performs.
 

Company Information

Memorex originally
started off as a consumer tape producer in 1971 and later expanded to produce
disks and peripheral equipment for IBM mainframes.  Today, the company is a
consumer electronics brand of Imation, covering CDs & DVDs, portable audio
players, iPod accessories, flash drives and Blu-ray disc players.  If you would
like to find out more about Memorex, please visit
their website.
 

Drive
Specifications

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We found the following
specifications on the packaging and within the user manual:

• AM/FM radio with digital display
• CD player with programmable CD memory
• CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 CD Playback
• Auxiliary line-in jack to connect other audio devices
• Bass boost sound enhancement
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Uses 8 “C” batteries (not included)
• AC/DC operation (AC cord included)

General:
Power Source ADVERTISEMENT	230V, 50Hz AC
Battery	DC 12V, 8 x 1.5V ‘C’ size batteries Alkaline is recommended for longer life
Speaker	2 x 3W
Output Power	2 x 2W
Dimensions	350.5 (W) x 220.9 (D) x 139.7 (H) mm
Weight	1.9kg
Radio Section:
Frequency Range (FM)	87.5-108 MHz
Frequency Range (AM)	522-1620 kHz
Disc Section:
Disc Diameter	4.72” (120mm) 3.15” (80mm) Single CD
Optical Source	Semiconductor Laser
MPEG Rate	32-384Kbps
Sampling Frequency	8/11.025/12KHz for MPEG2.5 16/22.05/24KHz for MPEG2 32/44.1/48KHz for MPEG1
MP3 Playback	ISO9660 format compatible

What’s
inside the box

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Let us first start by
taking a look at the retail packaging as well as what the player ships with.

The following images
show the retail box this player came shipped in.

Front Side

Left Side

Right Side

Rear Side

Top of box

The contents of the package are as follows:

The retail package consists of:

• Memorex CD/MP3 Boombox
• AC mains power lead
• User guide
• Warranty information sheet

As this is a complete
unit with internal speakers, the only thing required is its power lead.  Note
that as with almost any electrical item sold internationally, the included
power lead will vary depending on the country of purchase.   Our review sample
came supplied with a 2-pin European lead. 

Optional accessories
compatible with the unit include a 3.5mm stereo lead to connect an audio source
(e.g. MP3 player), headphones with a 3.5mm plug for private listening and a set
of 8 x ’C’ cell batteries for mains-free operation. 

Now let’s take a look
at the Memorex Boombox itself:

Front

Right side

The Boombox has roughly
the footprint of a typical CD cassette radio, but not as a tall.  The player
looks very stylish and will certainly attract more attention than a traditional
portable CD/radio. The player has three handles – two at the top (left &
right of the CD loader) and one at the front near the bottom, which appears to
be for carrying the Boombox on a shoulder.  While the player can be lifted by 2
hands, we had no problem carrying with just one handle, even with a CD playing
in this near-vertical position.

All CD controls are
located on the front left/right of the display and the tuning knob for the
radio is located on the right side as shown above.  The large rotary wheel
below the display controls the volume.  Like most portable CD players, this
player is not remote operated.  When powered on, the LCD display glows with a
blue background.

The following shows a
close-up of the controls and LCD display:

Like most LCD displays
on CD players, this display can be easily seen in the dark as well as in bright
sunlight such as when used for an outdoor party or barbecue.

Now let’s take a look
at the connections:

The player has the
following connections:

• PHONES (3.5mm) – Connection for stereo 32-Ohm headphones.
• LINE IN (3.5mm) – Stereo input from an audio source such as an MP3 player.
• AC (At rear) – 230 volt input for a figure-8 type power lead. 

The battery compartment
is located below the player:

Its springs are wide,
which makes it easy to load batteries without them springing out when loading
the next pair.  We also had no issue using C-cell converters to load AA
batteries.  While disposable C-cell batteries will obviously provide a much
longer runtime than AA’s, the most common C-cell rechargeable batteries typically
have a capacity of just 2500mAh, but cost a lot more than rechargeable AA’s of
this capacity.  AA battery charges are also commonly available and are usually
cheaper than and not as clumsy as universal battery chargers.  We’ll do some
battery tests later in the review.